Lock for trunks, dress-suit cases, and similar receptacles.



4PAtmNTED AUG. 14, 1906.

M. 0 S N .A R L am 2 A 8, 2 8 nw N l LOCK POR TRUNKS, DRESS SUIT CASES,AND SIMILAR REGEPTAGLBS.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 16,1905.

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No. 828,423. PATENTBD AUG. 14, 1906. L. RANSOM. LOCK POR TRUNKS, DRESSSUIT GASES, AND SIMILAR RBCEP'IAGLES.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 16,1905.

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THE NonRls PETA-Rs cu., wAsHlNaYoN, D. c,

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

LOUIS RANSOM, OF MILTON.l MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO HENRYO. KALISH, OF EVERETT, MASSACHUSETTS.

f No. 828,423.

Speoioaton of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 14, 1.906.

Application filed Ju 16,1905. Serial No. 265,617.

To a/ZZ when@ it 'may concern:

Be it known-that I, Lo'Uis RANsoM, a citi- Zen of the United States.residing at Milton, in the county of Norfolk and State of Massachusetts,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Locks for Trunks,Dress-Suit Cases, and Similar Receptacles, of which the following is aspecification.

In closing trunks, dress-suit cases, and similar receptacles when filledto excess much trouble is frequently experienced in forcing down the lidor cover into locking position, jumping or sitting on the lid beingoften resorted to for this purpose. To overcome this difficulty andavoid the annoyance resultin(T therefrom is the object of my invention,wthich consists in a trunk-lock rovided with a lever adapted to beconnected with the trunk-lid after the latter has been nearly closed,whereby said lid may be positively drawn down to close the trunk by amovement of the lever, said lever being adapted to be locked to securelyhold the lid in its closed position, as hereinafter fully described.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of aportion of the body and lid of a trunk having my improved lock appliedthereto. Fig. 2 is a vertical section of the same on the line 2 2 ofFig. 1. Fig. 3 is a similar section with the arts in the position whichthey occupy wen the trunk-lid is closed down and locked. Fig-4 is asection of the locking-lever, showing the construction of thekey-operated locking'mechanism carried thereby. Fig. 5 is a transversesection of the locking-lever and lockplate, taken in the plane of thelocking-bolts.

In the said drawings, A represents a portion of the body of a trunk, andB a portion of its lid. To the body A is secured in any suitable mannerthe lock-plate 10, formed of a flat plate of sheet metal having a longrectangular opening 12, within the upper end of which is a pivot 14supporting a lever 14, which is shaped to closely fit said opening andlie flush with the outer surface of the lockplate when closed downtherein, as shown in Fig. 3, the lower end of the lever being preferablybeveled, as shown, to fit a corresponding bevel on the lower end wall ofthe aperture l2.

The lever 14 is composed of two flat plates 16 17, riveted together, theouter one having a recess forming a chamber 18 for containing thelocking mechanism by which the lever is securely locked within theopening 12 when closed down therein, thereby locking the trunk. Anysuitable locking device may bec employed in connection with the lever14; but that which I prefer to use consists of a pair of transversebolts 1Q, projecting through openings in the opposite sides of the leverand having beveled ends adapted to catch under the lock-plate, as shownin Fig. 5. These bolts form the lower ends of a pair of arms 20 of theform shown in Fig. 4, their upper rounded ends being fulcrumed inrecesses 21 21 in the top plate 16 of the lever in which they arefitted. Each of the arms 20 is provided with a hook-shaped projection23, said hooks being disposed one above and the other below thekey-post, so that a key introduced through the keyhole 24 will engageand act on both of the hooks to withdraw the bolts 1) against theresistance of a U-shaped wire spring 25 placed between the arms 20.

Within an opening 26 in the lever 14 is pivoted a flat hook-plate 27,which extends up beyond the upper end of said lever 14 and is providedat its free end with a hook 28, which when the lever 14 is unlocked andraised or pulled out from the recess in the lock-plate, as shown in Fig.1, and the trunklid is nearly closed is adapted to enter and catch overthe lower edge of a rectangular opening 29 in the lid-plate 30, which issecurely fastened to the lid B of the trunk. As soon as the plate 27 hasbeen hooked onto the lid-plate a downward pressure of the hand upon thelever 1.4 will close the same into its recess in the lock-plate andcausethe trunklid to be positively drawn down with great force to itsproper closed position against any yielding resistance due to the trunkbeing overiilled, the bolts 19 then snapping under the lock-plate, whenthe trunk will be securely closed and locked as desired, without any ofthe trouble and annoyanceheretofore experienced in forcing down the lidby handpressure or sitting or jumping thereupon.

The lever 14 is preferably provided with a spring 31, Figs. 2 and 3,acting on the heel 32 of the hooklate 27, whereby the latter whennotengagedJ with the lid-plate is held in an upright position closeagainst the trunk to revent any liability of its catching in theclothing of a person passing by.

IOO

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

l. A trunk-lock comprising a lock-plate having an elongated opening, alid-plate, a lever pivoted to said lock-plate and adapted to lieentirely Within said opening when locked to said lock-plate7 a hookpivoted to said lever Within a recess provided in the front face of saidlever and adapted to connect said lever With said lid-plate after thetrunk-lid has been nearly closed, and means for locking said lever tosaid lock-plate when the trunk-lid has been closed.

2. In a trunk-lock of the character described, the combination With thelock-plate,

of a lever pivoted to said lock-plate7 means for locking the lever Whenthe trunk 1s closed, a hook-plate pivoted to said lever and eX- tendingup beyond the saine and having a hook at its upper end adapted to engagethe lid-plate when the trunk-lid is nearly closed, and a spring actingonthe heel of the hookplate to retain said hook-plate in an uprightposition When not engaged with the lid-plate.

I/Vitness lny hand this 14th day of JuneI A.

LOUIS RANSOM. In presence of P. E. T EsoHEMAor-IER, J. E. MALONEY.

